Born a King

Do you see that little baby there in the stable? A stable, I know, is not befitting Him; that little baby has the title to this universe! It is He who will rule this universe, my beloved. Those baby hands will hold the scepter of this world in which you and I live. But those little baby hands, waving in every direction, are going to be nailed to a cross before He takes the scepter. You see that little baby brow there? Just a little baby, that’s what He was. But He will wear the diadem of deity; He will wear the crown of God’s entire universe. But wait. That little brow will be pierced with a crown of thorns, put there for you and for me.

Purple robes ought to grace those weak little shoulders, but before that purple robe He must wear swaddling clothes and the seamless robe of a peasant. Those shoulders are going to bear a cross for you and me; those mighty arms will be outstretched in salvation on that cross; those nail-scarred hands will be knocking at the door of men’s hearts. He who will hold the scepter of this universe will sit on the throne of David someday. But first He will have to sit in your place and my place, the place of judgment, before He becomes the Judge of all the earth.

Look at Him there. He is King. Born a King. Lived a King. Died a King. Buried a King. Rose again a King. And this very day He is at God’s right hand a King. One of these days He is coming to earth a King.

My friend, look about you. The supermarkets are groaning with their shelves laden down. The department stores are bulging with luxury items. The cash registers are giving out the “Christmas” chimes. Also we are a very religious people — churches will be filled this Christmas.

What a contrast to His coming. A stable. Poverty. Lowliness. What obscurity. No one there but a few paltry shepherds, and later a few wise men came. That’s all.

But He has crown rights. There is coming a day when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). (From the message “Born of a Daughter of David”)

About Thru the Bible

Thru the Bible takes the listener through the entire Bible in just five years, threading back and forth between the Old and New Testaments. You can begin the study at any time. When we have concluded Revelation, we will start over again in Genesis, so if you are with us for five years you will not miss any part of the Bible.

About Dr. J. Vernon McGee

John Vernon McGee was born in Hillsboro, Texas, in 1904. Dr. McGee remarked, "When I was born and the doctor gave me the customary whack, my mother said that I let out a yell that could be heard on all four borders of Texas!" His Creator well knew that he would need a powerful voice to deliver a powerful message.

After completing his education (including a Th.M. and Th.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary), he and his wife came west, settling in Pasadena, California. Dr. McGee's greatest pastorate was at the historic Church of the Open Door in downtown Los Angeles, where he served from 1949 to 1970.

He began teaching Thru the Bible in 1967. After retiring from the pastorate, he set up radio headquarters in Pasadena, and the radio ministry expanded rapidly. Listeners never seem to tire of Dr. J. Vernon McGee's unique brand of rubber-meets-the-road teaching, or his passion for teaching the whole Word of God.

On the morning of December 1, 1988, Dr. McGee fell asleep in his chair and quietly passed into the presence of his Savior.